Monday, June 9, 2008

Cheap Eats: Cool Drinks

With the temperature hanging in the 90s, this Bostonist forgets about hunting down cheap meals and only wants something nice and cool to drink. Be it iced tea, iced coffee, or ice cream, these drinks are the best way to keep cool.

Bubble tea at Boston Tea Stop – There are so many flavor combinations to be had at the Boston Tea Stop, you could cool down with a new drink every day this summer. Pick from black tea or green, milk or no milk, tons of different flavors (try the rose flower for something different), and tapioca pearls or coconut jelly (or a combo of the two). The tapioca and jelly (shown above) make the drink fairly filling; pair the drink with some ice cream mochi for a great snack. (Boston Tea Stop is on JFK Street in Harvard Square.)

Greek frappé at Athan’s Bakery – No, it’s not the same as a frappe here in Massachusetts. A Greek frappé consists of instant coffee, milk, sugar, and water, shaken with ice and served in a tall glass. It’s a delicious alternative to a typical iced coffee, especially with one of Athan’s pastries (try the apricot and almond strudel) or their gelato. (Athan’s Bakery has two locations: Beacon Street and Washington Street in Brookline, and Washington Street in Brighton Center.)

Nutella frozen hot chocolate at Paris Creperie – Mix together nutella, skim milk, and non-fat frozen yogurt, and you get one creamy and smooth treat. Chocolate-hazelnut is not a common frappe flavor, which is why this one stands out from the pack. Paris Creperie offers a wide variety of smoothies, but this one is the clear winner. (Paris Creperie has two locations: Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner and Cambridge Street in Beacon Hill.)

3 comments:

Oooh yay! My friend and I are always looking for good bubble tea and the Greek frappe sounds amazing. Can you believe I've only been to Athan's twice and I've lived in Coolidge Corner almost 3 years? I'm ashamed.

I have, however, been to Paris many, many times and yes, the Nutella frozen hot chocolate is amazing!

Thanks for the point about the Beacon Hill creperie! I'll take that out.

And if I weren't finally meeting you this weekend, I would come drag you down to Athan's right now! Frappes are everywhere in Greece, and I was so pleased to see it on the menu at Athan's. Besides the frappe and the apricot and almond struedel, the rose gelato is my other favorite.